The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1887-08-03

up of provisions for the infringement of
personal liberty. They do this in order to
give protection TO the persons, the reputa-
tions, the lives and the property of the
people, and to give peace and prosperity to
society They do it because government
and civil society cannot exist without the
abridgement of personal liberty. They do
it for the good of society and the protec-
ton of its members.
Is the liquor traffic an evil ? Few have
the hardihood to deny that it is. Most
OF the anti-prohibition orators OF this
State admit that it is. Then why not
prohibit ii, except for the purposes men
toned in the amendment, as we prohibit
gambling and the carrying OF weapons
You justly refer to drunkards as ''de-
graded, common criminals" Why not do
all We lawfully may to prevent drunken
ness and the crimes it gives rise to
The great charter of English liberty
the portions Of the constitution of the
United States which operate as bill of
rights, the bills OF rights of the several
States of the Union, may be analysed in all
their aspects and it will not, cannot, be
found that they anywhere, under any cir
cumstances, protect personal liberty where
its exercise is a crime, or offends, injuri-
ously, the interest Of society. They only
protect those great and sacred rights with
out which man cannot be free-cannot
enjoy either personal liberty or popular
rights
If the liquor traffic is right, if it pro-
NOTES peace, if it promotes prosperity, if it
increases the happiness of the people, if it
promotes the general welfare, ii it is a me-
cessity as 3 means of maintaining your
private or public rights and Liberties, then
| agree that it is protected by the bills Of
rights and ought not to be interfered with.
But if ii is evil-it it produces drunkenness,
idleness and crime-if it tends to the waste
of fortunes, if it causes the impoverish-
ment, disgrace and ruin of men, and if it
deprives women and children of the COM
forts of life and home, if it causes men to
insult, abuse, maltreat and murder one
another, If il causes them to neglect, to
abuse, to degrade and beat their wives and
children, then | submit it does not come
within the protection OF our bills of rights,
and that those things are not the personal
| liberties which should be held inyiolable.
Much as ] disagree with the theory and
| the policy of your letter, and much as |
regret the use which is being made OF it
| in Texas, | know you would not have
written ii if you had not believed its senti-
NIGHTS JUST anu eiht ltS puOAlCdlIOu NOulu
| do good. / recognize the fact that many
| other good men like yourself take the same
view. 1t does not change my estimate OF
your purity, patriotism and virtue, nor
can it affect nay personal friendship and
admiration-the result of an intercourse
which showed me the purity and greatness
of your character but a sense of public
duty compels me, regretfully indeed, to
advise you that | shall authorize the pub
| LEGATION of this letter in vindication, TO
this limited extent, of my own views and
of the views of the thousands of good peo-
pie of Texas who think as | do on this
| question. Very truly, your friend,
JOHN II. REAGAN.